Life Always Circles Back to Death
by CellarGangGirl
Summary: Neville discusses his Gran with Hannah and Luna after her funeral. Futurefic, drabblefic, rated for character death.


Disclaimer: Yeah right. Honestly people. I'm was excited that I got a 4 on my AP English test, not that I was an extremely famous published author like JK. Maybe someday...

AN: I'll be the first to admit, I have no freaking clue where this idea came from. I'm happy with the way it turned out though. I even wanted it to be relatively short, so that's good. By the way, I mean for this to be like, nine years after the battle of Hogwarts, if anyone was wondering. I hope you enjoy!

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><p>The soft, solemn voices drifted through the rooms above the Leaky Cauldron, talking on and on for hours uninterrupted except by the occasional peaceful silence. The doorways through the home had a warm, welcoming, lived-in feel that Ron and Harry had frequently told the owners reminded them of the Weasley home. Today, however, there was only a small company of people, much different from the scene the week before, coming to pay their condolences at every hour. Three people occupied the homely rooms, their comaraderie showing in the gestures they made and the conversations they carried, even in the comforting silences that fell over them. Luna Lovegood had always been a treasured guest of Neville and Hannah Longbottom. In the sitting room, Neville sat in a tall, comfortable leather chair that Hannah had Transfigured from a broken wooden chair from their business downstairs for their first anniversary. Luna sat on the long couch opposite him, their voices drifting into the kitchen, where Hannah was busily wiping down the counters as the tea she had put on for them brewed. She'd always told Neville it calmed her to clean without magic, and she could definitely use the calm.<p>

Back in the sitting room, a lull fell in the conversation as Luna realized she wouldn't be able to skirt around his loss at the same time Neville realized that he didn't want to skirt around the death any longer. He needed to talk to someone other than Hannah and his parents about it, and Luna made the best candidate, as his best mate.

"She was proud of me, you know." He started, forcing himself to break the ice somehow. Luna only smiled, not shocked in the least that this was the first thing that came to his mind, after years of the old woman telling him he wouldn't be as good as his father had been.

"Of course she was. I'd bet that she was more proud of you than anyone, and probably for longer than you think." She replied, her comforting smile still in place. Neville felt like her eyes were seeing straight through his skin; it had always been one of her best qualities, in his opinion. He smiled back at her- it felt like his first really genuine smile in the week since his Gran's passing.

"She was really upset, just as I'd thought she would be, when dad's wand was broken. But she was so proud of me for having gone with you and the rest of the group to the Ministry after Voldemort. She seemed the happiest she'd ever been when we went to Ollivander's to buy me a new wand a couple weeks after that. She insisted on telling anyone who asked what we were doing exactly how it had been broken. And then, she was proud when I wrote her home about what was happening at Hogwarts in seventh year, about how we were standing up to the Carrows and Snape. And she was probably her happiest when she heard about me standing up to Voldemort, and killing that snake." His voice suddenly cut off. They sat in another comfortable silence, the only sound the oddly-soothing screaming of the tea pot in the background, for a few moments before Luna cut in.

"I'm sure those are just a few of the times she was proud of you Neville." She started, cutting off as Hannah carried in a tray with two teacups and the teapot. She set the tray on the low table between them, pouring the scalding hot water over their tea leaves. She dumped two teaspoons of sugar into Neville's, stirring it. She offered the sugar to Luna, who shook her head in the negative. She set the lid back on the sugar container, turning to her husband.

"She's right, Neville. Your Gran was always proud of you. Just think about it. She cried when she found out you were indeed magical. She gave you _your father's wand_- you know how much that meant to her. And when you got sorted into Gryffindor, she told you that you were living up to her expectations. You told her that you believed Harry and Dumbledore when the Prophet was saying they were liars, and she agreed wholeheartedly with you. And yeah, all the other stuff you mentioned, but also when we got married, and when you got the job at Hogwarts, and especially last month, when Headmistress McGonagall named you Head of Gryffindor house. Your Gran has always been proud of you, Neville, sweetheart." She told him, placing a tender kiss on his forehead before stepping lightly out of the room. Luna noticed the tears in Neville's eyes, and how they fell from the corners of his eyes when he blinked. There was a short lapse in conversation while he blinked away the tears he was finally shedding for his Gran.

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><p>AN: I really hope you enjoyed, please review, as usual.<p> 


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